Sunday, August 28, 2016

Wine
lovers will be pleased to know that there is a newbie in town for affordable
wine and dine. Hoopla Lounge, located
in the popular hangout area of Desa Sri Hartamas, is the sister restaurant of ChapterOne Bar + Bistro.

I
can think of plenty of reasons why Hoopla
is going to be a popular hotspot to come. Located in a strategic location, Hoopla offers all its diners free valet
parking. Yes, just hand your keys to the valet and head on upstairs to the
lounge. Parking in that area can be a tough feat but with free valet offered by
Hoopla, hanging out at the lounge is now made easier.

The
moment one walks into Hoopla, you
know that you’re in for a good time. The décor is dim and yet posh. Dark décor are
brought to life with bold and colorful art pieces on the wall. A beautiful bar,
a wine cellar, high back lounge chairs and low tables, spaciousness that offers
privacy, these are definite reasons to visit Hoopla too.

Hoopla prides on offering a solid list of
wines and currently have over 100 wines on their list. More wines are already
in plan to be added to the current list, added owner Ernest C. An ardent wine
lover himself, he believes that wines should be affordable so everyone can
enjoy them. That evening, we enjoyed St Martin Reserve Merlot and Chardonnay
from France. Though I am normally a white lover, I really enjoyed the red
Merlot. The medium-bodied red has a refreshing acidity with smooth tannins.

One
cannot certainly survive on wine alone! Here’s another delicious reason and a
porky one indeed. Hoopla shares the menu with ChapterOne and there’s plenty of
tempting dishes from local favorites to international dishes to keep everyone
pretty happy indeed.

There’s
plenty of snacks to go with wine or beer and one must-have bar snack is Hoopla’s Chicken Wings (RM22). Glorious
crispy wings and drumettes well-marinated in Asian inspired flavors are so
good, we happily dig in with our fingers. Served alongside house made chili
sauce, the chicken wings are deliciously addictive as the moreish and salty
flavor hit all the right spot together with the spicy kick-ass chili sauce.

Another
house specialty is a simple one but goes great with wines. Lady Fingers (RM6) are lightly parboiled and dressed in Mentsuyu, garlic oil and sesame oil.
Clean and delicate flavors coupled with the unique lady fingers texture makes a
light appetizer to go with wines.

The
next few dishes comes from the Connor’s special menu. First up, a Cracklin’ Chicken Karaage (RM38).
Homing in on classic Japanese crispy fried chicken, this version has chicken
marinated in Connor’s stout, fried crispy and drizzled with a creamy sweet and
spicy sauce. Another great and delicious bar food and this dish comes with a
glass of Connor’s stout.

Mains
are next and from the same Connor’s menu, the Conner’s BBQ Chicken Thigh (RM40) was a crowd pleaser. A whole
chicken Maryland roasted and basted with an unctuous sweet and sticky Connor’s
infused BBQ sauce has such comforting flavors that one can savor often. It has
such a down-to-earth flavor that makes the chook a treat to enjoy. Served with
roasted potato wedges and another spicy and tangy chili sauce, we hope this
dish stays on the regular menu. This dish also comes with a glass of Connor’s
stout.

Porky
goodness is up next and the Connor’s Rib
Slab (RM85) wowed our crowd. The pork ribs are given a 48-hours marinade of
Connor’s stout porter. Then it’s slow roasted till tender with on-going basting
to create a sublime sticky and sweet BBQ glaze. The glaze caramelized and gave
the ribs a luscious sheen of deliciousness with crisp edges. The ribs are so
tender and moist. We enjoyed how the ribs still has a good bite too. Guess
what? The porky ribs comes with 2 glasses of Connor’s stout porter in case one
thinks that it’s not Connor’s enough!

The
evening got even better when the Crispy
Pork Knuckle (RM77) was placed in front of us. This mega platter of a
gargantuan pork knuckle served with sausages, potato, crunchy veggies and three
sauces had everyone flashing their cameras in paying homage to the hog simply
because it looked amazing.

Full
blast crispy, crunchy, salty and porky goodness, the pork knuckle had everyone
going back for seconds. What makes this pork knuckle even more memorable was
the sauces. There was a tangy brown sauce, a super spicy and sour sauce with
herbs and a regular brown gravy. The pork knuckle richness was well-balanced up
with all the sauces, especially the spicy one and makes it easy on the palate
with that adrenalin and addictive heat from the sauce. Love the robust flavor
of the sausages and the crunchy sticks of veggies does make the dish less
sinful. Great platter for sharing and went so well with our red St Martin
Reserve…

Despite
all the meaty goodness, there was this amazing Pan Fried Seabass (RM31) too. The seabass was cooked so well,
crispy skin with firm and moist flesh. The skin had lots of flavors from spices
and the lightly pickled onion salad really gave a zesty zing to the fish. A
squeeze of lemon added more flavors too. Served with creamy potato salad, I
really adored the fish and would certainly order this again.

Hoopla
also has a list of local favorites such as Char Kway Teow, Tomyam Meehoon,
Hokkien Mee, Mee Goreng and more. We opted for their Hokkien Mee (RM19), a plate of lardy infused braised dark fat
noodles fried with cabbage and pork. The noodles are decent and has a good
oomph of that rich and aromatic flavors associated with Hokkien noodles. I
heard from another diner that the Mee Goreng was even better. Looks like I need
to head back there for the Mee Goreng.

The
evening was certainly fun and fill with lots of laughter and food. And since
everyone was in full merriment, we ended up also enjoying the only dessert available
on the menu, Chocolate Brownies (RM15).
Now the portion seen here is actually 3 portions as there were quite a few of
us sharing it. A decadent dark and rich way to end the evening.

And
there you have it, all the reasons to head on over to Hoopla! Affordable wines, scrumptious menu filled with porky
goodness, beautiful lounge made for hanging out and free valet parking, it’s a
lethal and irresistible venue to relax and unwind at the end of the day. Olé
for Hoopla!

Friday, August 26, 2016

There’s
always an exciting anticipation when it comes to the Mid-Autumn festive at Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur. Renowned
for their gorgeous and creative mooncakes packaging as well as their signature
mooncakes, Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur is featuring another gem filled with the
hotel’s signature mooncakes this year.

The
Mid-Autumn Jewellery Box is a
must-have this festive as it makes the most elegant and exquisite gift set
filled with scrumptious mooncakes. Gorgeously lacquered in various Mid-Autumn
colors and motifs, the large rectangle wooden box has beautiful craftsmanship
as well as a solid built. The jewellery box makes an impressive gift this
festive season and many are said to already be swooning over this box.

There
are four striking designs of jewellery boxes ranging from beautiful peony
blooms set on backdrops of shades of red to good fortune roosters set against a
full moon available in red or black backdrops. A gold latch completed the box
in sheer opulence. The elegant box is also encased in a rich burgundy velvet
bag.

Concorde
Hotel Kuala Lumpur’s mooncakes are halal and comes in two sets of 6 mooncakes
each. Select your choice of set along with your choice of the jewellery box,
each priced at RM108 nett.

There
are also other regular sized mooncakes available and the most sought after
signature not to be missed is Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur’s award winning Snowskin Musang King. Packed with pure musang king durian,
it’s a luscious treat for durian lovers this festive season. As the Snowskin
Musang King is limited, do make sure to get them before it runs out.

Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur Mid-Autumn
Jewellery Box is
available at the hotel’s lobby kiosk from 11am to 8pm daily and Mid Valley Mall
South Court from now till Sept 15, 2016. There is also a special 20% discount
for Concorde Cash Card, Classic & Priority Plus members, & a 15%
discount for Citibank, CIMB, Hong Leong, HSBC, Maybank, OCBC, UOB and RHB
cardholders. For Corporate bulk orders of 100 boxes and above, there will be
complimentary gift cards and free delivery to a destination within the Klang
Valley.

Thursday, August 25, 2016

Celebrate
this year’s Mid-Autumn festive season with gifts of Komugi Otsukimi Moon Cakes for your family, friends and loved ones.
The Japanese bakery launched their Otsukimi moon cake last year and is continuing
their success this year with delicious flavors.

Sharing
the same tradition with the Japanese festival of honoring the autumn moon, Otsukimi or Jugoya refers to moon-viewing on the 15th of the eighth month of
the lunar calendar. Long associated with rabbits and mocha, Otsukimi shares a
legend of a rabbit pounding mochi with an old-style wooden hammer that apparently
lives on the surface of the moon.

In
honors of Otsukimi, Komugi has
created four delectable moon cakes set in a modern and contemporary dark blue
box. The dark blue box is set with a golden full moon filled with playful
dancing bunnies that really plays to the Otsukimi festivity. Inside are four
individually wrapped white box with pretty pastel renditions of Japanese motifs
that encased four of Komugi’s moon cakes.

Komugi’s
four baked moon cakes are Low Sugar
White Lotus, Green Tea Apricot, German Black Forest, and Azuki Milk. Go classic and savor creamy
and nutty low sugar white lotus or take on a modern taste of dark and rich
chocolatey sensation of German Black Forest. The luscious fudgy chocolate paste
is studded with dried sweet cherries, perfect rendition of flavors of
bittersweet notes of the famous cake that everyone loves.

Then
there’s the Japanese classic flavor of green tea and azuki. Komugi’s Green Tea
Apricot has a rich green tea note through the baked skin as well as the green
tea paste. What makes it so delectable is the hidden gem of apricot fruity
sweetness to lighten up the green tea. Premium creamy Japanese red bean paste
with a center of milky nut paste encased in golden baked skin summed up Azuki
Milk. Delicately sweet and creamy, the aroma is also wonderfully enticing.

From
now till 2 September, the Early Rabbit Special offers a 10% every box of Komugi
Mooncakes. Get your Komugi Otsukimi Moon Cakes at all Komugi outlets as well as
Mid Valley booth.

While
you’re at Komugi, don’t forget to savor their signature Baumkuchen series. Coils of even layers of aromatic cake that
originates from Germany, the baum comes in various flavors of Original, Matcha, Strawberry, Choccolate,
Pandan and Black Sesame. There are
also plenty of other tempting bread, pastries and desserts that is simply
irresistible!

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Mooncake
season is back and it’s time to enjoy a traditional treat of mooncakes with
family, friends and loved ones. From 1 August to 15 September 2016, Dorsett Grand Subang is featuring new
flavors and classic flavors of their Treasure
of Mid-Autumn Halal Certified Mooncakes available at the hotel lobby and The Emperor restaurant.

Dim
Sum Chef Chan Chee Loon has created 3 new signature mooncakes this year and
diners can expect the very best of flavors from these mooncakes. There are 11
variations in total of baked and crystal skin mooncake flavors available this
year with returning favorites as well as the 3 new flavor. The price of the
mooncakes start from RM25 nett to RM30 each.

If
you enjoy the tingling sensation of minty peppermint with chocolate, the Crystal Skin Peppermint Chocolate Paste
Mooncake is perfect for you. The balance of the peppermint against the
chocolate was spot on. The dark rich chocolate with nutty bits is just velvety
and rich while the peppermint leaves a light and soothing minty after note.

My
favorite mooncake of the 3 new flavor is the Baked Ginseng Qi Zi Paste with Single Yolk. Ginseng flavor is
pretty noticeable in the mooncake and works very well the goji berry paste. The
hint of bitter note is definitely unique and tasted very pleasant and familiar
on the palate. Coupled with the salty and luscious egg yolk, this mooncake
packs a delightful and unique flavor profile that many elders will enjoy.

The
Baked Low Sugar White Coffee Durian
Paste Mooncake is also rather unique and features a good hint of the king
of fruits. Since durian and coffee are both strong in flavors, the duo proves
to be a solid match for each one, lending a rich and robust flavor mooncake.

We
were treated to a Mooncake Demonstration
by Chef Chan. Every step-by-step looked amazingly simple but we all know that
it takes a lot of skill and the right ingredients to make these mooncakes. Let’s
leave the making of the mooncakes to the expert!

Head
on over to Dorsett Grand Subang for
the 11 mooncake flavors available from 1 August to 15 September, 2016. Patrons
who purchase four pieces of mooncakes and above will get a complimentary
specially designed mooncake gift box.

For
bulk purchase, 15% discount is given for 10-29 boxes purchased and 30% discount
for 30 boxes and above purchased. Dorsett Prestige Club members will receive 20%
discount on all mooncake purchases. The rates and 10% service charge are
inclusive of 6% GST rate.

For
orders and enquiries, please call 603 5031 6060 for more details.

Pork Free Dim Sum at The Emperor

While
one is at Dorsett Grand Subang, do
head on over to Chinese restaurant, The
Emperor for scrumptious bites of dim sum. Famous for their pork free dim
sum, The Emperor serves a solid selection of steamed, baked and fried dim sums.
Chef Chan’s skillful touch are definitely well-received by many foodies who
enjoy pork free dim sum.

The Emperor serves Cantonese cuisine set in a
traditional ambiance. Spacious main dining room as well as private dining rooms
are well decorated with Chinese motifs and classic Chinese table settings.

The
Siew Mai and Prawn Dumplings are beautiful in flavor and texture. A solid bouncy
texture in the Siew Mai is a testament to how skillful Chef Chan is in his
repertoire. Sweet firm prawns encased in lightly chewy crystal skin is very
enjoyable.

There’s
the bouncy Steamed Fish Paste Dumpling
with Garlic that had a rich fish flavor that anyone of all ages will enjoy.

Simply
a must-order, the Crispy Cheong Fun with
Prawns had a harmonious texture of soft, crispy, bouncy and firm all rolled
in one. Love the savory and sweet flavor of the dish!

Salted
egg yolk foodies will definitely be hooked on the Steamed Squid Ink Bun with Salted Egg. Unctuously moreish and rich,
the oozing filling is simply finger-licking food while the fluffy bao makes the
right partner to soak up the richness.

There’s
also the Pan-Fried Shanghai Dumpling
with its lightly crisp skin encasing juicy meaty filling. Add on a bit of chili
oil or enjoy it with the vinegar and ginger sauce for extra flavor.

One
cannot go wrong with the Deep Fried
Vegetarian Spring Roll, simple classic dim sum made well and enjoyable.

There’s
crispy Deep-Fried Yam Dumpling with
its sweet chicken char siu filling that was a crowd pleaser that day. Fluffy
and creamy yam with a crispy exterior and moreish filling is always a favorite
of mine anytime.

Another
classic must-have at any dim sum meal is Baked
Mini Egg Tart. The ones here have a buttery flaky crust filled with wobbly
eggy custard.

There
are plenty more dim sum choices on the menu so gather your parties to try them
all. The pork free dim sum at The Emperor is definitely one of the better dim
sums I have had in the city.